Article of manufacture and the method of packaging



R. F. LAAS Nov. 22, 1966 ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE AND THE METHOD OF PACKAGING Filed Sept. 28, 1964 Wade/fl? Za aJ INVENTOR.

BY M241 W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,286,825 ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE AND THE METHOD OF PACKAGHWG Robert F. Laas, 5534 Southlea, Houston, Tex. Filed Sept. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 399,788 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to .a new and useful article of manufacture and in a method of packaging.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel article of manufacture for use in packaging delicate instruments, and the like, wherein the packaging may be accomplished quickly and easily.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel article of manufacture that may be cheaply and easily produced and which may be reused.

It is another object of the invention to provide a novel method of packaging delicate instruments, and other delicate articles, whereby the instrument or article to be packaged may be quickly and easily packed in a container 'by a single movement of the packer.

It is another object of the invention to provide a means for packaging articles which may be easily stored in a minim-um of space. The present materials employed for packaging delicate articles is of a bulky nature, such as horsehair, and requires a lot of space for dead storage pending its use. The present invention provides a flat, compact article, easily handled and easily stored in quantities in a minimum of space.

In packaging instruments, such as aircraft navigational instruments, gyroscopes, or other delicate articles, it has been necessary to partially fill a container with a shock absorbing material and then place the instrument, or article, therein and pack more shock absorbing material around and on the instrument and then seal the carton, or to encapsulate the instrument or article and then place same in a carton. The proposed method of packaging is the [formation of the packaging material from polyurethane, or the like, in a flat block having the same marginal contour as the carton into which the article to be packed is to be inserted, and the block then placed over one open end of the carton and centered in that position so that the article to be packed, as it is forced into the carton, will move the packing material into the carton with it, and will be completely inclosed by the packing material.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts more particularly defined in the following specifications and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of the packing material, preparatory to being forced into a container, with the article to be packed in position to be inserted into the container.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded elevational view of the carton, packaging material and article to be packed.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the packed article, taken in cross section.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates an ordinary container, such as a cardboard carton, having a bottom, four side walls and a top, formed of the integral sections 2, 2. A packing carton of this type is made to accommodate the article being packed and providing for the insertion of packing material. A packing material, which is of soft, flexible and resilient nature, such as polyurethane, which is formed in strips 3, 4, is provided with the marginal contour of the container, so that it will fit the inside walls of the container, covering the side and end walls, and the strip 3 is anchored to the strip 4 'by a suitable adhesive, so that the bottom of the container will 'be provided with a double thickness of packing material and one portion of the strip "ice 3, extending from the side margin of the strip 4, will be of suflicient length to provide cover over the end of the carton, thus providing a double thickness on the top. A strip 5 is anchored to one end of the strip 4 to form another top section of the packing material.

When it is desired to pack an article, as 6, the packing is placed over the open end of the container, as shown in FIGURE 1, with the double thickness formed by the joined strips 3, 4 in alignment with the open end of the container, and the article to be packed, as 6, is placed on the strip 3 where the strips 3, 4 are joined, and pressure asserted on the article 6, forcing same into the carton, the packing material being moved into the carton with the article being packed. The extending end of the strip 3 is folded over the top of the article being packed and the strip 5 is allowed to take its normal position as shown in FIGURE 2, and the top sections 2, 2 of the carton may then be moved into closing position and the container sealed in the usual manner.

If a standard size box is being used, and the article being packed is of less length than that required to fill the container, additional pieces of packing may be placed on the top of the strip 5, until the carton is filled. Ordinarily, it is contemplated that the packing material will be made to fit the article being packed and the carton will be made for that particular article and its packing material.

By using polyurethane, or the like, the projections of the article being packed will either penetrate the packing material, or will depress the material to conform to the contour of the article being packed, consequently, any shape of article may be so packed.

The article being packed will thus be completely inclosed by the packing material and the container filled.

The article of manufacture consists of strips of packing material, such as polyurethane, having one strip anchored to the other strip in crosswise relation and having marginal contours to correspond with the marginal contours of a carton to be employed and having a top piece of packing material adhered to one end of one of the strips and extended laterally therefrom.

The method of packaging consists of placing a container in a position where one end is open and forms the top of the container, placing a packaging insert having its marginal contours shaped to conform to the contours of the container over the open end of the container and centered to exactly fill the container when inserted therein, said packaging material being formed into a flat block of integral strips of flexible and resilient material, and then placing an article to be packed on said packing material and forcing said packing material and the article to be packed into the container and closing and sealing the open end of the container.

While the foregoing is considered a preferred form of the invention, it is by way of illustration only, the broad principle of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an article of manufacture for use in packing delicate articles, a pair of rectangular strips of flexible packing material, one of said strips being anchored to the other strip in cross-wise relation, and another strip of packing material anchored to one end of and extending laterally from one of said rectangular strips.

2. In an article of manufacture for use in packing delicate articles, a pair of strips of flexible and resilient packing material having their outer margins shaped to conform to the marginal structure of a container, said strips being in cross-wise relation with each other and being integral, one of said strips being of sufiicient length to provide a fold-over cover for one end of the article being packed and an additional piece of packing material secured laterally at one end of the other of said strips forming another end cover.

3. In an article of manufacture for use in packing delicate articles, a pair of rectangular strips of flexible and resilient packing material anchored in cross-wise relation with each other and a laterally extending strip of said material at one end of one of said strips.

4. In a method of packaging delicate articles, placing a container in an upright position with the upper end open, placing a resilient and flexible packing material having its marginal contour shaped to conform to the marginal contour of the inside walls of the container over the open end of said container in a centered relation, placing the article to be packed on the said packing material and forcing the packing material and the article to be packed into the container.

5. In a method of packaging delicate articles, placing a container in an upright position with the upper end open, placing a flexible and resilient packing material having its marginal cont-our shaped .to conform to the marginal contour of the inside walls of the container over the open end of said container in centered relation, placing the article to be packed on the said packing material and forcing the packing material and the article to be packed into the container, adding such additional pieces of packing material as may be needed to fill the container and sealing the open end of the container.:

References Cited by the Examiner,

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,276,128 3/1942 Wellman 206- 46 2,979,246 4/1961 Liebeskind 229-14 3,124,292 3/ 1964- Stegner 229-114 THERON E. ICOND'ON, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, JAMES B. MARBERT,

Examiners. v 

1. IN AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE FOR USE IN PACKING DELICATE ARTICLES, A PAIR OF RECTRANGULAR STRIPS OF FLEXIBLE PACKING MATERIAL, ONE OF SAID STRIPS BEING ANCHORED TO THE OTHER STRIP IN CROSS-WIRE RELATION, AND ANOHER STRIP OF PACKING MATERIAL ANCHORED TO ONE OF AND EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM ONE OF SAID RECTANGULAR STRIPS. 